Sitt of the House
by Evie of the Nile
Summary: Kate, a cousin by marriage to the O'Connell/Carnahans finds herself without parents and alone. However as kind as the O'Connells were to take her in and bring her to Egypt, she brings with her a very horrific and violent afterlife. R


Author: Evie of the Nile AKA Rachel

Disclaimer: The Mummy and The Mummy Returns characters and whatever do not belong to me. Kate, however is © me as well as the plot and some other secondary characters that are not mentioned in the film.

Summary: A mystery/suspense/angst/romance about secret hidden treasures in the great tombs of the Valley of the Queens. 

~~~Chapter 1. **Priestess~~~**

It was in my blood, as I had always been told, and believed. I couldn't remember

a year I hadn't ventured to Egypt for one reason or another, following my father

on some pursuit, not entirely against my will. I loved my father, we were very

close since the death of my mom.

But enough of my life story, at the present moment I was venturing the streets

of Cairo in pursuit of my Aunt and Uncle, to whom only one of them I'd met

before. Aunt Evelyn, like my father, had always gone to Egypt. I guess it was in

them as well because of my grandparents, Radcliffe and Eleanor as they were

always referred to according to my father, Steven.

You see, Steven isn't my real father, he met my mother in America back in 1930,

he had gone to the war and not come back (he always told me he wanted to see the

sights of the world, in other words, he took the wrong ship home) We don't know what he did in between the years he had found us and arrived in America. It's his own business, however. 

He had saved my mother from an abusive relationship, to which the reason I call him my real father. I was born in 1928, so I was two years old when Steve met my mother. We were best friends, our little family was close, not very prosperous, we just 

played it day by day. But when I was twelve, my mother died, leaving Steve and I

alone, I stayed with him despite the fact that I could have moved in with more

wealthier relatives, but I couldn't leave him.

So, like I was saying before I was interrupted, dear reader, was that I was now

in Cairo, and in quite a dishevelled state I am! People are very kind here, but

I would rather carry my own bags with me from the train to the hotel, knowing

that I'll be demanded of baksheesh when whomever is done doing the good deed for

me, I'd rather just sweat it out and get the bags there myself. I was informed

by Aunt Evelyn over the telephone to meet them on the terrace of the Shepherds

Hotel, quite an elegant place I found out when I opened up the pamphlet I found

at the train station to give me directions to get there. I am quite familiar

with the streets of Cairo and many other largely populated places of Egypt, but

with my father, we usually stayed with people we knew like the local natives, I

don't think there was ever a time when I slept in a hotel bed in this country,

and so when I climbed the stairway onto the terrace of this magnificent place I

felt quite awkward and out of place.

I found a seat off in the corner at a table, pushed my bags under my chair and

made myself discreet. The well trained waiters running in and out of peoples

paths with large platters of foods dishes and drinks didn't even see my

presence. But it was only a matter of a couple of minutes for Aunt Evelyn to

find me.

"Kate, Kate Carnahan? Is that you Katie?" She called out from the crowd, to the

voice--where it came from I did not know-- I automatically stood up and darted

my eyes to and fro looking in the general direction of the greeting. Finally I

found her, the familiarity between her and my father astonished me to the point

where I yelled out "Aunt Evelyn!" and pulled her into a large tight hug. I

couldn't help it, she reminded me so much of my father that I started to cry,

Aunt Evelyn just held me close and let me compose myself.

After a couple minutes she finally eased away from my grip and pointed behind

herself, "I would like you to meet your Cousin Alex," To this a very tall and

very handsome boy--or shall I say man?-- nodded his head and smiled.

"Hello Kate, I've heard much about you." He smirked again.

"And this is your Uncle Rick" Oh, Rick was his name, alright I'll have to

remember that. An even taller and just as handsome man put down his luggage and

shook my hand.

"Kate, it's nice meeting you."

"Same here" I agreed as I slowly withdrew my hand and eyed my chair.

"Oh dear girl, why am I keeping you up, you must be exhausted after your long

trip, and alone I see, where's your Aunt Beatrice." She was my mother's Sister,

whom I took up residence with after my father's death.

"Thank you" I said as I cautiously sat down making sure everyone was going to

do the same, "Aunt Beatrice isn't well enough to come with me, I'm afraid. She

insisted I come, though." I explained, Aunt Evelyn sat beside me, Uncle Rick was

across from me and Alex was on my right hand side at the four person circular

table.

"Hmmm," was Aunt Evelyn's only remark, "Well I'm glad to see you made it here

fine, but what am I saying, you come here every year don't you? See anyone

familiar yet?" She asked. As a matter of fact I had seen someone whom I knew,

but I wasn't ready to let anyone, including that person, know.

The soft rapping at my door startled me out of my daydreaming, I was quite

exhausted from the train ride and when I was finally able to get in my room,

which I might add is very large. I was thrilled to be able to just flop on the

bed and stare at nothing in particular and stay in that position for a few

minutes.

Which brings up back to now, "Come in." I answered, I knew it couldn't of been

the staff, rumour had it they just come in and out, given you leave your door

unlocked, at their own will.

It was my Aunt Evelyn, wearing a very flattering sundress of beige yellow and

gold, I guess it was an 'Ode to Egypt' or something. She came over and sat on

the bed next to where I lay sprawled out and rested her hand on my arm, "Hey

Katie," She said in a very soothing sympathetic voice, oh how I had gotten to

know this voice in the past few years… "Are you alright?" She asked as she bent

over and felt my forehead in a motherly fashion.

"Oh yes, I'm fine, just tired, well, and I have a head ache, I guess just too

much sunlight at once." I reassured her, she smiled back.

"Alright, just let me know if you want or need anything, dinner will be at

six," She got up and headed for the door, "Unless, of course, you are too sick

to join us?" she turned and looked at me concerned.

I smiled, "I'll be there"

"Good," She smiled back, "I'll send Alex for you." With that she left closing

the door behind her. I looked over at the clock, I had just under an hour to get

ready, and with the wardrobe I had to select from I needed all the help I could

get.

When six rolled around and Alex arrived knocking at my door, I had chosen a

full skirt that was once my mothers and a white blouse. The skirt was printed

with abstract patterns of orange yellow and red. I left my hair down, it's very

hard to work with being so thin and long and straight, especially in this

weather.

"You look nice," He simply said when I let him in, I smiled and thanked him,

usually when I came to Egypt the attitude toward things is very casual, but this 

year everyone seems so tense and formal. It could be the fact that I'm staying

with wealthy relatives that are staying at one of the finest hotels in all of

Egypt. I guess they're the kind of people who are always dressing up and

sticking their nose up at people who like to get dirty and have adventures, ah

well, I can deal with that.

He was dressed in a casual yet formal shirt, sans tie, and pressed white tweed

pants. "What's for dinner?" I asked when Alex took my arm and guided me to the

dining room a couple flights down.

"I really don't know, probably some kind of fish or soup-er-somethin' " Well,

that wasn't exactly what you expect to hear from someone who looks like he eats

this kind of food every day, but I'm not one to judge. I don't know how aunt

Evelyn's family came upon their fortune exactly, 'luck' was the semi-jealous,

affable answer my father gave, but he always loved his sister, and bared his

brother, Uncle Jonathan. Whom, might I add wasn't here this year, I know he's

spent quite a fair bit of time with Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Rick, to the point

where he was living with them in my grandparent's manor.

Aunt Evelyn had offered my father the manor, in the intentions of moving, but

father didn't want the absurdly oversized home for just him and I.

That evening I half-feigned illness and immediately went to my room. My room

was located to the left of Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Rick's and two down from

Alex's. I supposed theirs' are joint, but my room was separate. I overlooked the

streets of Cairo, with a breathtaking view of the pristine Nile in the distance

and the silhouetted pyramid of Giza beyond.

By eight I was feeling a little better, my stomach was nauseous, but that could

have been in part because of the foods I ate, we had, like Alex said, 'fish,

soup-and-something'' I wrote a quick note of my intention and left it under Aunt

Evelyn's door, then went down the stairs and out to the brisk outside.

I went down to the Nile River and sat, I spent a good twenty minutes sitting

there, watching tourists and the natives wind their way through the streets.

Although it wasn't entirely unlikely, I was quite startled to see someone I knew

that evening, I forget his name, but I remember staying with him at one point or

another. He acted like the usual beggar, coming up to me and asking for

backsheesh

When given the chance he restrained my mouth from calling out with his grubby hand, then left as fast as he came. Disappearing into the crowds of Cairo. 

At first I thought he was a regular thief, checking me out to see if I had anything worth any value, and in realizing I held nothing he fled to go find someone else. But I was mistaken, as I shakily pressed my hand to my pocket I came to realize that there was a bulk there that I didn't make. I quickly and carefully reached into my pocket and pulled out the object, it was an _Ushebti_, one of many statues that were put in tombs of the wealthy to assist them in the afterlife. 

Taped to the torso of the little man was a note, very roughly scratched in hieroglyphs, on a piece of yellowed and cracked paper. 

~~~~~~

When I got back to my room that night I was just on time, as I was unlocking my door to go in, Aunt Evelyn and her bunch were coming upstairs, all laughing and joking with a few of their 'colleagues' who were following them up. 

"Oh, hello Kate, are you feeling better?" Aunt Evie asked. 

"Um, yes." I stammered as I fiddled with the key, and thought up an excuse. "I was just in the-erm-back garden…well I'm tired now so I'll be going in to hit the sack…" To which I figured they wouldn't understand the colloquial term and corrected myself: "um, turn in, I mean, go to bed!" I didn't give them time to even answer me, the key finally jarred into the hole correctly, I gave it a twist, pulled it out and slid in the door. 

"Oh god, they're going to disown you, Kate" I informed myself aloud, I gasped as I caught my reflection staring at me in a mirror across the room and promptly scowered at myself.

That night I didn't exactly go straight to bed, I checked out the meaning of the night first, and with the aid of my father's old field books I came to the conclusion that the note said something roughly along the lines of 'come back to the Nile and your reward will be thee, my goddess' . I thought about this for a moment, 'my goddes' quite possibly that term was the wealthy deceased who the Ushebti was crafted for…but why would I want a mummy? Unless, I thought some more (I tend to when tired and inspired…) unless the 'goddess' was very wealthy. I thought back to my father's explorations, what had he sought to find? At that point my mind went blank. I fell asleep. 

~~~~~~

The heat from the sunlight reflecting off the glass panel of the balcony door was what aroused me the next morning. 'Funny' I thought 'I don't remember ever opening the drapes…' not that I really cared, I get paranoid when I'm in strange places, and traveling to Egypt by myself and staying in a fancy hotel in Cairo was certainly strange to me. 

I figured since I was up I might as well stay up, I slipped on a light dress and peeked my head outside the door, Aunt Evie and all must still be asleep, they're probably the type to sleep all hours of the morning while their servants clean up after the night before. 

To my surprise I saw Alex's door slightly ajar, I promptly retreated from the hallway and closed the door. Why? I don't know, I guess I just didn't want to face him after he contradicted my theory. 

I sulked in my room for a while, thinking about what I wanted to do today… nothing came to me, I'm in Egypt and basically free to do what I want and NOTHING came to my mind. Then came the knock on my door. 

"Come in" I said. 

Aunt Evie poked her head in my room, "Good morning" I respectfully rose and bid her a good morning as well. "So formal," She commented, I hinted an air of sarcasm in her voice as she smiled. "I was wondering if you would do me the pleasure of joining me on a trip to the Museum of Cairo this morning? Maybe some breakfast first, Rick and Alex are going to do some business at the port and so that leaves just you and I."

"Sounds like fun" I smiled at her, then remembered my 'manners' and promptly wiped off the smile. "I mean… I'd be delighted to do you the-er honour or…um" I totally went blank of any proper statements to make. 

Aunt Evie looked at me oddly, "You know, I'm just as easy going as the next person, you don't need to charm me with those properly structured sentences." This brought a smile to my face. "Well, shall we?"

~~~~

We had breakfast, surprisingly in a quaint little privately owned café, then went to the museum. It was dark and gloomy compared to the rays of sunshine we had just left. I remembered the Museum like it had just been yesterday that I was sitting in the faux chariots playing 'horsie' with the statues of the chariot drivers in their beautiful (faux) gold jewellery and clothes. 

Evie (as she had requested I informally call her, as we ate breakfast) had some business to take care of, she went promptly to the back of the building where the offices were located, I followed along respectively falling behind as she went into one of the offices. I sat at a bench located outside the door on the opposite wall. It wasn't hard to hear the general conversation that was taking place (not that I was listening) The door was left wide open. 

We were going to Luxor what for, I couldn't hear. But Evie was quite excited to go. She came out with a grin on her face, thanking the man who stepped out with her, then turned to me. "Oh, and Mr. Petterson, meet my niece, Kate. I'm sure you knew her father, John." Mr. Petterson shook my hand an offered some kind words of my father. Then we were off to look at the exhibits.

We were wandering in the gallery of Gods and Goddesses when it hit me, it was a sharp pain in my chest, I doubled over and let out a little gasp. "Kate!" Evie grabbed my shoulders from the back, in order to keep me standing. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I waved her away as the crowd started to form around us, "Just, um, my stomach." I lied. "It's alright." Tears were welling up in my eyes from the sudden pain, but I managed to get to a bench and plop down rather gracefully if you ask him. With a sniffle I wiped the tears away with my arm, bending my head back and sighing. "I'm ok, nothing bad." I assured my self (and Evie) After a few minutes we continued on our way.

~~~~

__

"Real gold, eh?" The man picked up the ankh that had once rested on the chest of the woman who lay in the sarcophagus. 

"That'll fetch a pretty price back home." Another said. "Let's leave the rest, come back when suspicions lie low and we're free to walk away with our hands full. We'll take the ankh, however, to get us started." 

~~~~~~ 

I sat in the lounge of the hotel sipping on a tea as I waited for Alex and Rick, with Evie that afternoon. We had looked at practically everything there was to see in the Museum, then did a little shopping.

Evie got up and went to the receptionist to see if there were any notes left for her, as I opened up a pamphlet from the Museum and was greeted by the big text that read: _EGYPT'S LATEST DISCOVERY Help Egypt find the lost tomb of Princess Safiya, said to be the grand-daughter of Seti I in the 19th dynasty. The location of this tomb has not yet been found, but with your donations to the Cairo Museum, we are getting closer then we've ever been. _The text was accompanied by a picture of a man out in the desert beside some cliff holding a little hatchet and smiling. 

As I read this a huge feeling of qualm rippled through my body. I read on.

_Safiya was said to be the Priestess of Nephthys, the protectress of the Dead, and the Guardian of Hapi. She was the protector of the lungs of the deceased. As she is also given the title "Friend of the Dead" and is seen as a personification of darkness (in a non-evil sense) as Isis, her sister, is a goddess of light._

These words meant basically nothing to me. I do not study the Gods and Goddesses of Egypt, neither will I probably ever, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of the little book as I read on to the parts about the family history of the so called 'Priestess of Nephthys' and her long lost afterlife. 

Just as I was putting the pamphlet back on the table, Alex and Rick walked in, much to Evie's pleasure, as she got up and kissed her husband, in front of the general public, Alex didn't look too pleased, he rolled his eyes. "They always do this." He told me, "They don't know what the word 'privacy' means" I laughed a little. 

"U-huh, I can see that" I said as the two finally parted and walked over our way. 

"Your father and I are going out for dinner, we have reservations," Evie said, "For two…" She added. "Maybe you and Kate could grab some dinner either here or somewhere else."

"Yes, Alex, you have money, treat your cousin to dinner, why don't you?" Rick said with a smirk, then he and his wife left us standing there, Alex with his mouth agape in a stupefied stare.

"What's wrong?" I asked, amused.

~~~~~~

"I can't believe this, I had to pay for _you!" _Alex groaned as we were heading back toward the hotel, he had treated me to a fine little shack of a restaurant owned by someone he knew who's special was nothing short of a rat salad. I use the term treated loosely, of course. 

We were winding down the back roads between two sheer walls of brick housing full of little windows and doors. I had to keep up with him at a trot so that I didn't get lost, my father and I would stay at friend's houses, but nowhere near here, so I didn't know my way around. 

"You know you could have at least paid for the dessert or something!" Alex grumbled, I had had enough.

"Listen!" I stopped and Alex twirled around on his hells and planted a surprised look on my face, "I don't know who you think you are, but you have NO right to complain to me about having to pay for something. Being of the background you are, I can't believe you had the audacity to take me to a thilth hole like that! That wasn't food, that was garbage! I wouldn't have fed that sort of food to a dog!" As I delivered the speech, to not only Alex, but the passer-by's who stopped and looked, I noticed a hint of amusement in his eyes. "And don't look at me that way! I'm serious! I wouldn't-AAAH!" 

I had no time to finish my sentence, without warning I was grabbed from behind and pulled into a side ally I heard Alex's cry of distress followed by a grunt of pain, then nothing. 

The man who held his hand over my mouth was as I described the food, disgusting, he wore a ratty old galabeeyah and a turban that could have been used as a rag. His breath smelt, but not of alcohol, just lack of a toothbrush. With a toothy (well, gummy) grin he acknowledged me, "Sitt Carnahan." with a nod, then slipped whatever he held in his hand down the front of my dress. 

Then let go of me.

Dumbstruck, I staggered out of the alley, to find only a clump of 'Alex' lying on the ground ahead of me and no one else in sight. I rushed to his side and knelt down, "Alex, are you alright?" I asked, without response. "Hey! Stupid!" I smacked him upside the head, "get up!" 

"That was rude." He murmured as he rolled over and sat up holding his head.

"That wasn't me, it was the guy who grabbed you, idiot." 

He looked me in the eyes, and a smile spread across his face, "Cute." He said.


End file.
